Foundation for Senior Care teams with Major Market to provide grocery deliveries to elderly sheltered-in-place

FALLBROOK – Local and independently owned Major Market and Fallbrook's Foundation for Senior Care joined forces to provide grocery services to stay-at-home seniors in the area, starting Friday, March 20.

According to Dr. Robert Pace, president of the Foundation for Senior Care, the local nonprofit organization established a relationship with Major Market to assist seniors in minimizing public contact while getting needed food and other supplies.

He said that seniors call the foundation's offices at (760) 723-7570 and place their order using a credit card. The foundation's "Care Advocates," verify the order and relay it to the market where a staff member then fills the order through its transportation service.

"One of our Care Van drivers picks up the filled order in-store and establishes a route within the community to deliver the groceries to the seniors," Pace said, adding, "without a delivery charge."

He said that the foundation offered a similar service to local pharmacies, however, there has been no commitment at press-time.

John Alarcon, store manager for Major Market in Fallbrook, said that he has noticed many seniors expressing concerns for their health as they shopped there since the virus was labeled a pandemic earlier this month.

"Many of our elderly customers, during the twice-monthly Wednesdays when we provide senior-discounts to them, have commented that they appreciate the availability of many products but also would like a way to avoid being in situations where their health could be compromised," Alarcon said. "Providing this no-charge delivery service by the Foundation goes a long way toward alleviating some of their fears."

Keith Birkfeld, the foundation's executive director who created and now manages the project with Alarcon and the Major Market outlet here, said that the foundation is working in close coordination with the Fallbrook Regional Health Care District, the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce and the Fallbrook Food Pantry.

Birkfeld said, "As the food delivery service expands and threats from the coronavirus persist, both Major Market and the Foundation for Senior Care will need volunteers to help with picking, bagging and delivering much-needed food and other grocery items to area seniors. Community resources, in the form of financial support and individual volunteers, have always propelled our mission, and during this crisis they are critical."

Both Pace and Birkfeld said that each driver will use all of the established safety measures during the delivery process such as changing gloves and wearing masks to further protect themselves and those receiving deliveries. Calls from the foundation's Care Van team will be made to seniors to alert them to the imminence of a delivery and packages will be left at the front door or another convenient spot for easy retrieval by the seniors.

The Foundation for Senior Care is a multi-provider of services for seniors and their families with headquarters at 135 S. Mission Road in Fallbrook. The locally operated nonprofit organization has 15 board members, all of whom are prominent business and civic leaders in the Fallbrook and Bonsall area.

Submitted by Foundation for Senior Care.